


Belonging

by greygerbil



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Haytham Kenway, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Mention of Physical Abuse, Mpreg, Omega Charles Lee, past Edward Braddock/Charles Lee dictated by the Templar Order
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 10:51:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17786003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/pseuds/greygerbil
Summary: Charles was ordered to have a child with Braddock to prove his loyalty to the Templar Order, but now Braddock is dead and, at eight months pregnant, Charles is worried what Haytham Kenway will decide should happen to him and his offspring.





	Belonging

Braddock was dead. He had clung on to life for a bit after Master Kenway had gotten to him during their ambush, stubborn to the last, but had finally breathed his last earlier this day. Charles sat at the bar in the Green Dragon with a tankard filled with water. He would have loved to have had something stronger, but his current situation forbade it. Despite its father’s death, Braddock’s child was still growing within him, reminding Charles of its healthy presence with frequent nudges.

Its father had not liked Charles much nor treated him well, but after getting to know Braddock, Charles had been rather grateful that Braddock had not claimed him as his full mate, even if being kept on the side like a whore was a rather disgraceful situation to be in for a man born into some standing. Still, Charles had conceived a child with him as Reginald Birch had asked of him back in Britain to prove that he would belong to the Order in body and soul, and thus had Charles felt himself a step closer to his goals. As an omega, he was under harsher supervision, considered likely to be frail of will and believes, and so he’d been eager to prove it was not so. Of course, he would become useless for marriage because of this, but no well-born alpha would want to marry an omega soldier, anyway, and so Charles considered it worth the price.

But now Braddock was dead and Master Kenway had excommunicated him from the Templars. What was the child in his belly worth to the Order now? Charles would admit to having grown fond of it, unborn creature that it was, even despite its other father, who had cared little for it and only treated it as an irritating necessity resulting from his duty to the Templar Order. It was much too late to get rid of it now, anyway. Even if Charles should deliver it this day, it should likely be able live just as any child. Would it be a detriment to his possible advancement now, even though he had readily assisted Master Kenway in killing the alpha who had made it? Was the child in danger of being disposed of for its dishonoured father? Charles would do much to be a Templar, but that thought made his heart seize.

Of course, Master Kenway was really not the sort of man to drown a squalling infant in a well. Still, there were likely rules to adhere to, ancient and unknown to Charles. It all had him on edge and his own lack of peace transferred to the child, which had been kicking him for days and nights now. The lack of sleep resulting from this assault and his concerns was plainly showing in Charles’ face by this point.

The door opened and Charles looked over his shoulder. Master Kenway had stepped into the room. As quickly as he still could, encumbered by the weight he carried awkwardly before him, Charles got up to greet him.

“Master Kenway. Did you find it, then?”

The carefully guarded look on Master Kenway’s face told Charles immediately that the efforts had not come to the solution he had wanted. Despite his own troubles, Charles felt disappointment spread. He had hoped that at least the Templars’ plans would be furthered.

“It was not the right place,” Master Kenway said.

Careful not to let his own feelings show too much, so as to not have Master Kenway bothered with them on top of the frustration he had to be experiencing now, Charles stepped aside and gestured towards the staircase so Master Kenway could lead the way.

“The others are waiting for you.”

Charles followed at a respectful distance, but looking at Master Kenway’s back as they ascended, he could feel the fear cold in him again. They would likely discuss how to proceed from here, now that further research was necessary, and Charles had a feeling he would come up as a topic, as would Braddock’s child. As they had reached the top of the stairs, he finally decided to touch Master Kenway’s arm.

“After you have told the others about your mission, would it be possible for us to talk in private, Master Kenway?”

Master Kenway levelled a thoughtful look at him.

“Yes, of course,” he said.

Charles took up position where he usually did, just a little out of earshot of quieter conversation. However, Master Kenway did not keep his voice down as he outlined his new goals. Charles did not allow himself to glance briefly over his shoulder when Master Kenway announced his plans to help establish a foothold and grow the American Templar Rite. As much as he wished to see the cause of the Templars furthered, Charles would have to admit that Master Kenway not leaving to Britain again was a very pleasant surprise, for he was so inordinatly fond of the man, even knowing in his state he could never have him. But perhaps it would soon be irrelevant to Charles, at least if Master Kenway terminated his apprenticeship and sent him away.

When Master Kenway had left his brothers to their drinks again, he tapped Charles on the shoulder. They walked as far as the end of the hallway for some privacy.

“What is it, Charles?”

Charles had already devised the most delicate way to address the issue in his head while he waited for Master Kenway to finish up. He took a pointed look at his own bulging stomach before turning his eyes up at Master Kenway again.

“I just wanted to know now that Braddock is dead… what is going to become of me? And the child?”

Master Kenway exhaled sharply.

“You must feel quite ill-used and it’s commendable you followed my orders during the expedition even with circumstances being as they are. This is certainly a burden Reginald settled you with,” he said, shaking his head. “God knows what made him choose Edward for the honour of furthering the Order this way. I have thought him unstable for some time.”

Charles swallowed.

“You said you took Braddock’s ring. If he did not die a Templar, this child now has no connection to the Order,” he said carefully.

“Well, it needs one parent who is a Templar, at least, yes. Which, I suppose, brings us to the second point I had wanted to speak of today.”

Master Kenway put a firm hand between his shoulder blades and urged him back down the hallway to stand before the table.

“Gentlemen, if I may have your attention again,” he said, raising his voice. They all complied, even Thomas; Master Kenway had a way to command attention that could have kept an opera hall full of people quiet, Charles thought. “I think it’s time that we bring Charles into our fold. He has been unerringly loyal and dedicated to the cause. When asked to give a child to an alpha of the Order to show his commitment, he did, and when the alpha turned out to have betrayed our ideals, he helped us kill the father of his unborn baby. I know it’s more common do induct omegas on the recommendation of the alpha they have been given to, but I feel Charles has proven he can stand on his own.” He gave Charles a brief smile. “Besides that, he is carrying a child that I’m sure he would be happy to raise with the values of the Order in mind, so in truth we might gain two true followers at once.”

Charles’ heart had never beaten so rapidly. He tried to keep his face blank as he looked between the men at the table. Thomas was a constant thorn in his flesh, but he could not imagine him having any serious opinions on who entered the Order or not. John and Benjamin were not very limited by social norms, and though William had always struck him as a bit more traditional in his views towards omegas, he kept quiet, too.

“So be it, then,” Master Kenway decided. “Charles, give me your hand.”

-

Charles generally seemed to be in a good mood when he was around Haytham, but Haytham had never before seen him this elated. As he spoke with his new brothers, he was beaming, and not even Thomas’ teasing managed to dissuade him in any way. Not that it was terribly surprising – Charles had from the first made it clear how much the Order appealed to him, and Braddock’s death would necessarily have worried him no matter how little he appeared to have liked the man, for he was in the most intimate way connected to him.

Haytham had called them together late and the others dispersed soon after giving their congratulations, leaving only Charles and Haytham, who both had rooms at the Green Dragon. A good opportunity, Haytham thought, to find out a bit more about how Charles had felt about the resolution of Braddock’s expedition. After all, he had some interest in gaining insight into Charles’ thoughts that went beyond the Templars’ needs.

“Would you like to speak in private for a bit, Charles?” he asked.

Charles smiled brightly at him. “Yes, of course.”

He led the way to his room and pointed at a table in the corner.

“Sit, Charles,” Haytham ordered. “I can’t imagine it’s very comfortable for you to be on your feet so much right now.”

“Oh, it’s perfectly fine, sir,” Charles was quick to assure, but he did look somewhat relieved when he took his place on the chair. On his trained soldier’s frame, the belly was quite noticeable and seemed to be constantly in the way of Charles, who used to be so nimble and quick when Haytham had first met him, but now often looked unhappy with his own sluggishness. Haytham, however, found the shape of his pregnant body rather fascinating.

“You do seem to take to pregnancy quite well,” Haytham noticed. “You were climbing on rooftops after me when you were already big enough to show and you even fired shots during the expedition – which I am sure I did not agree to.”

“It seemed like a good idea,” Charles said meekly.

“It was, but it drew attention, which in your state I wanted to avoid.” Haytham smiled. “How did you manage to talk Edward into taking you along, anyway? I was reluctant enough to allow you, and I knew you wouldn’t actually see open combat other than our ambush.”

“That wasn’t so difficult. I did not ever feel he particularly cared about me or the child, so when I assured him that I would just trail along to honour my commission, he was fine with it.”

Haytham made a small noise of discontent. Some alpha Edward had turned out to be. Of course, he himself had allowed pregnant Charles some dangerous feats as well, but only knowing he would be there to protect him if necessary. It did not sound like Edward had paid as much attention; and obviously, when his troops were attacked, he had fled to save his hide without so much as a word about his unborn child or the omega carrying it.

“Edward and you must have had an intimate relationship of some sort, obviously. Are you at all sad he is gone?”

Charles was quiet for a long moment. “I would wager you knew him better than I ever did, sir. He was never really kind to me,” he said, with the cautious diplomacy of a man who was hiding much.

“How unkind?” Haytham asked, brows drawn.

“He made use of me as the Templar Order allowed, which I had agreed to, but I always had a feeling he did not enjoy my presence, even before I made off with you. Afterwards, he was obviously angry and it showed. He did not take me into his tent too often, but he could be quite rough on other occasions. I’m not afraid of a few bruises, but sometimes it made me worry for the child.”

Edward should’ve counted himself lucky that Charles still had some semblance of a grip on his own at times fiery temper. At forty years his senior, Edward would likely not have come out the victor in a real fight between them, even if Charles had to contend with his pregnancy.

“You should have told me about that. I would have found a way to get you out of his reach,” Haytham said.

“In the end, it seemed like me being there was better for our plans.”

This was right and Charles had taken a calculated risk with some pay-off, which Haytham should praise in any Templar. And yet – Haytham would admit that what Braddock lacked in affection and protectiveness for the omega, he himself seemed to have picked up on the way.

“You will be a good Templar,” he said, as to not end up chastising Charles for his decision. “But I hope in the future you’ll trust me to find solutions which both protect the people who work for me and lead to our desired outcome.”

“Yes, sir. I will keep it in mind,” Charles said, obviously enjoying the praise. His smile was quite irresistible, so adoring and honest and all focused on him, and Haytham found himself emboldened by it to reach across the table and grasp his chin.

“You were always wasted on Edward,” he said firmly. “If Reginald wanted me to evaluate you for the Order, he should have just given you to me.”

The way Charles coloured and stared at him in pleasant surprise told Haytham he had not misinterpreted his behaviour around him.

“I – well – it is too late now, of course, but I confess I have at times wished the same.”

“Why would it be too late?” Haytham asked, releasing him.

Charles gave a confused look. “Well, I doubt you would wish to take me now that I have Braddock’s child in me. I know well alphas don’t like the sight of their omega carrying someone else’s child, and the baby will soon be with me and even harder to ignore.”

“I think you are very pleasing to look at,” Haytham said, now secure enough to put all the cards on the table, “but perhaps that is because I was always arrogant enough to consider you my man rather than Edward’s, which you then proved so admirably during the expedition.”

Stunned silent, Charles looked at him, mouth half-opened.

“And as to your child? I suppose they have Edward’s blood, but they have yours, too, and I was the one who made sure they will never meet their other father. They may not be mine by nature, but how many people really know? Just our brothers from the Order. And how many other than us and the child, when older, need to? No one. With your blessing, this child could easily become mine…”

Charles answer was simply that he got up out of his chair and threw his arms around Haytham’s neck, kissing him soundly. Haytham smiled into his mouth and pulled one of Charles’ legs over his thighs so he could sit comfortably on Haytham’s lap, not having to awkwardly bend down over his own large stomach. Haytham licked into his mouth and ran his hands up his sides, greedily claiming this remarkable omega that Edward had kept to himself for so long. However, when he dragged his hand over the swell of Charles’ stomach, he felt a rather obvious push against his palm. Haytham lifted his hand and pulled his head back, surprised for just a moment before he laughed. Charles gave a lopsided smile.

“I apologise,” he was quick to say. “The little one – er, the child has been quite agitated these last few days.”

“Influenced by the father, I suppose,” Haytham said gently.

Charles inclined his head.

“It has been a rather eventful week.”

“Indeed. And I should say, perhaps, enough excitement for one pregnancy alltogether. You have been in half a dozen full-combat military missions, have searched the frontier for me, have explored the rooftops of Boston, and have joined a secret order all within the span of some eight months. You’re young and strong, but it might be time to slow down until you hold this child in your arms.”

“Since I am beholden to the Templar Order now, that depends entirely on what the Grand Master demands of me,” Charles said with a smile.

Haytham spread his hand out over Charles’ stomach and rubbed it gently, hoping to soothe the small raucous human inside. The gesture softened Charles’ clever smile into something almost unsure, if happy. Haytham wagered that Charles had not had any of the care an omega should be afforded during the pregnancy by their alpha and making up for it would be a responsibility he would gladly take on.

Perhaps the colonies had not yet yielded the answers Haytham had wanted, but he had found something valuable here nonetheless.

“The Grand Master will have much need of you in this room,” he said with a wicked smile, pulling Charles back into a kiss.


End file.
